The Roadmap to Success - Building Businesses with James Norvill

4 min readMar 17, 2023

James Norvill with Platinum Products ready mix trucks

I’ve been involved in business and had an interest in entrepreneurship since a very early age. I started my first venture into work at the age of 19 and had become director of Gwent Drain Services by the age of 23.

Since then, I’ve built several successful businesses including James Norvill Properties, J Plant, and Platinum Products.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have won numerous awards including BCC National Green company of the year, BCC Welsh business of the year, and Western Mail Young Business Achiever of the Year, among many others.

I want to share my experiences and insights on how to build a successful business, based on what I’ve learned from my own journey — by sharing my journey and advice, I hope I can help other budding entrepreneurs of all ages realise that blending the right work ethic with taking action to seize the right opportunities can lead to their own successes.

Identifying Opportunities and Setting Goals

The first step in building a successful business is identifying a viable opportunity. This can involve researching the market, assessing consumer needs, and identifying gaps in the market. Once you’ve identified an opportunity, you need to set clear goals and develop a plan to achieve them.

One of the most important things I’ve learned is the value of setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals. This helps you to stay focused and motivated and enables you to track your progress and adjust your strategy accordingly.

For further help with setting your own SMART goals here are some useful resources:

Building a Strong Team

A successful business is built on a strong team. This means hiring the right people, providing them with the right training and resources, and creating a positive and supportive work culture.

When hiring employees, I always look for people who are not only skilled and experienced, but also share my passion and vision for the business. I also invest in training and development to help my team members reach their full potential and contribute to the growth of the business.

Recruitment is an extremely important part of growing any business and can be a daunting experience. Here are some resources that might help:

Fostering Innovation and Adaptability

Innovation and adaptability are essential for building a successful business. This means being open to new ideas, embracing change, and continuously looking for ways to improve and grow.

One of the ways I foster innovation in my businesses is by encouraging creativity and collaboration and looking for new potential profitable avenues that can stem from the core of the existing business. I believe that by creating an environment that allows for experimentation and risk-taking, my team members are more likely to come up with new and innovative ideas.

Learn more with the following resources:

Emphasising Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is the key to building a successful and sustainable business. This means understanding and meeting the needs of your customers and going above and beyond to exceed their expectations.

One of the ways I ensure customer satisfaction is by prioritising communication and feedback. This means actively listening to customer feedback and using it to improve our products and services. It also means providing excellent customer service and support and building long-term relationships with our customers.

Here are some useful resources:

The Importance of Persistence and Resilience

Building a successful business is not easy, and it requires persistence and resilience. There will be setbacks and challenges along the way, but it’s important to stay focused on your goals and remain adaptable and resilient in the face of adversity.

As an entrepreneur with many years of experience and successes, I can attest to the fact that building a successful business is a journey that requires hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn and grow. By following these tips and staying true to your vision and values, you too can build a successful and sustainable business.